Minnesota Warehouse Distribution Worker Safety

This page explains employee rights and employer obligations under Minnesota’s warehouse distribution worker safety law, Minnesota Statute § 182.6526. These protections apply to covered warehouse distribution workers and regulate how employers use quotas and work speed data.

Requirement to Share Written Descriptions of Quotas to Employees

Employers must provide employees with a written description of each quota that applies to them. 

This written description must include:

• The number of tasks to be performed, or materials produced or handled
• Any limit on time categorized as not performing tasks
• The time period in which the quota applies
• Any potential adverse employment action for failing to meet the quota 

Employers must ensure that the written description:

• Is provided in plain language; and
• Is provided in the employee’s primary language, if identified. 

Timing requirements:

• Upon hire; and
• Before any quota increase takes effect, or at the time of any decrease. 

An employer may not take adverse employment action against an employee for failure to meet a quota that has not been properly disclosed. 

Prohibitions on Certain Types of Quotas

Employers are prohibited from applying quotas in a way that interferes with employee rights and safety.

Specifically, quotas may not:

• Prevent compliance with meal, rest, or prayer periods
• Prevent use of restroom facilities, including reasonable travel time
• Prevent compliance with occupational health and safety laws or standards 

Employers also may not:

• Discipline or take adverse action against employees for failing to meet a quota that violates these rights or safety standards 

Employee Right to Request Information Regarding Quotas and Work Performance

Employees have the right to request information about quotas and performance data. Employers must respond within four business days. 

Upon request, employees are entitled to:

• A written description of each quota
• The employee’s own most recent 90 days of work speed data
• Aggregated work speed data for similar employees at the same worksite 

Employees may make such requests up to four times per year. 

Additional protections:

• If an employee is disciplined for failing to meet a quota, the employer must provide the employee’s 90 days of personal data at the time of discipline
• If an employee is terminated, the same data must be provided at termination
• Employers are prohibited from retaliating against employees for requesting this information 

Enforcement and Remedies

Minnesota law provides both government enforcement and private rights of action.

• Violations may be enforced by the Minnesota Commissioner of Labor and Industry
• Employers may be subject to statutory penalties for violations 

Employees also have the right to bring a civil action. Available remedies may include:

• Damages and injunctive relief
• Reinstatement with back pay
• Recovery of costs and reasonable attorney’s fees 

An employee must bring a claim within one year of the violation. 

Additional Safety Oversight

If a warehouse has injury rates significantly higher than industry averages:

• The state must initiate an investigation
• The employer must hold monthly safety committee meetings until rates improve 

Key Definitions 

• Quota  means a work standard under which:

(1) an employee or group of employees is assigned or required to perform at a specified productivity speed, or perform a quantified number of tasks, or handle or produce a quantified amount of material, or perform without a certain number of errors or defects, as measured at the individual or group level within a defined time period; or

(2) an employee's actions are categorized and measured between time performing tasks and not performing tasks, and the employee's failure to complete a task performance standard may have an adverse impact on the employee's continued employment. 

• Employee Work Speed Data means information an employer collects, stores, analyzes, or interprets relating to an individual employee's performance of a quota, including but not limited to quantities of tasks performed, quantities of items or materials handled or produced, rates or speeds of tasks performed, measurements or metrics of employee performance in relation to a quota, and time categorized as performing tasks or not performing tasks. 

Need Help?

If you believe your rights under Minnesota warehouse worker law have been violated, please call 877-448-0492 or contact us online to arrange your free consultation.